Did you know your voice can help decide what your future energy bills will be? An explainer about why we are using Pol.is for our Solar for Renters campaign by CEO Solar Citizens Heidi Lee Douglas.
At Solar Citizens, we’re using Pol.is, an AI-powered platform for open public conversation, to make sure that everyday Australians — not just big energy companies — shape the next chapter of our energy story. We are especially focusing on finding the solutions for solar for renters - because 30% of Aussies live in rental properties.
Because across the world, we’re seeing what happens when the people are left out.
A Warning from Brazil
In Brazil, rooftop solar has been so successful that big energy companies are starting to panic. As more households install solar, the big generators are losing their monopoly on profits — and instead of celebrating that progress, some have lobbied to roll back the very policies that made small-scale solar possible. That’s a dangerous sign of what happens when the energy system isn’t truly democratic. When decisions are made behind closed doors, people lose out. We can’t let that happen in Australia.
Australia’s People-Powered Advantage
Australia leads the world in rooftop solar per capita — but more than a third of Australians rent and can’t access it. That means millions are still locked out of cheaper bills and clean power simply because they don’t own their own roof.
Our Raise the Roof – Unlock Solar for Renters campaign is about changing that. We’re calling on governments to unlock rooftop solar and batteries for renters, apartment dwellers, and communities everywhere. And through Pol.is, we’re making sure those very people — you — help define what fair, people-powered energy looks like.
What Is Pol.is — and How It Works
Pol.is is an interactive, anonymous survey tool that lets you agree, disagree, or add your own ideas on key campaign statements. As thousands of responses come in, AI maps out areas of common ground and difference — showing us, in real time, what Australians think about energy fairness, solar access, and renters’ rights.
It’s not a top-down poll — it’s a conversation, and it’s open to everyone. It’s designed to build consensus. Your input helps us understand what matters most, shape our campaign strategy, and make sure the voices of renters and everyday Australians are front and centre when we take this to government.
Democracy in Action
Every click, comment, and idea in Pol.is strengthens the movement for energy democracy — where power (in every sense of the word) is shared fairly. Your voice helps protect Australia’s rooftop solar success story from the kind of corporate pushback we’re seeing overseas.
Because the more people participate, the harder it becomes for big interests to drown out community voices. Together, we can keep energy in the hands of the people — and make sure everyone has a fair chance to plug into the clean energy future.
👉 Add your voice today: Sign up, and we’ll tell you when Pol.is has launched
Make sure Australia stays a world leader in people-powered energy — not profit-powered energy.
How Pol.is Has Been Used Around the World
Pol.is isn’t just a clever survey tool — it’s a global platform for digital democracy. Around the world, governments, universities, and community movements have used Pol.is to help citizens tackle complex issues together and find common ground where debates usually divide.
Here are some of the most inspiring examples:
🇹🇼 Taiwan: Writing Laws Through Public Consensus
Pol.is became famous in Taiwan, where the government used it to host open national conversations on Uber regulation, online privacy, and same-sex marriage. Tens of thousands of people took part, and the government used those insights to craft laws that reflected real community agreement. This process — known as vTaiwan — is now seen as a model for how AI and democracy can work together.
“We didn’t try to control the conversation — we listened to it.”
— Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s Digital Minister
🇺🇸 United States: City Planning and Civic Dialogue
Cities like New York, Seattle, and Pittsburgh have used Pol.is to explore community priorities on issues like housing, policing, and climate resilience. Because participants stay anonymous, people are more honest — and more willing to see others’ perspectives. City leaders have called it a “digital town hall that actually works.”
🇨🇦 Canada: Climate Policy and Youth Engagement
Pol.is has been used by youth climate networks and universities to help young people shape clean-energy plans and climate adaptation strategies. It’s helped reveal shared values — like fairness, affordability, and local solutions — even across politically diverse regions.
🇳🇿 New Zealand: Conversations for a Clean Future
Community groups and energy advocates in New Zealand have used Pol.is to map views on renewable energy transitions and Māori participation in energy projects — helping identify consensus areas that can strengthen national policy design.
What This Means for Australia
By using Pol.is for our Unlock Solar for Renters campaign, Solar Citizens is bringing this world-leading democratic innovation to Australia’s clean-energy conversation. It’s a way to listen at scale, ensuring our campaign — and the policies that follow — reflect the real priorities of the people most affected: renters, apartment dwellers, and those currently locked out of solar.
When we say “together we scale, together we solve,” this is what we mean — a new kind of civic engagement, powered by AI but led by people.
